Travel mishap costing British tourists £300 while they're away on holiday

If you receive a ‘welcome’ text when landing in a different country, then you may have a hefty phone bill coming. An unfortunate roaming mishap is reportedly costing tourists arriving in Greece hundreds of pounds.

Upon arriving in Corfu this summer, some travellers have supposedly received a ‘welcome to Albania’ text. According to the eSim company Airalo, this travel hiccupis costing tourists as much as £300. The hiccup in question is known as “inadvertent roaming” or “network drift”. The reason it is happening to Corfu tourists has to do with the region’s geographic location.

While Corfu is part of Greece, it is geographically closer to Albania. The island’s north-east tip is near Ksamil in Albania. Due to this close proximity, Albanian phone signals can be picked up by tourists’ phones in Corfu, resulting in this mishap, according to Airalo. It comes after awarning to Brit tourists planning all-inclusive holidays to Spain.

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“This cross-border signal interference isn’t new, especially where countries are separated by just a few miles of water or land,” say the experts at Airalo. “It usually happens because holidaymakers’ phones accidentally connect to the networks of nearby nations, which are not part of the EU’s Roam Like at Home (RLAH) regulation.”

Luckily there is a way to limit this hiccup from happening. “Tourists can avoid accidental connections to the wrong provider by manually selecting a Greek network or using a Europe eSIM,” according to Airalo. The company also recommends activating a Europe eSim when travelling.

“By activating a Europe eSIM before travelling, you can significantly reduce roaming charges and in some cases avoid, and start using your data as soon as you land, even if your phone briefly connects to the wrong network.”

There are other destinations besides Corfuthat are susceptible to inadvertent roaming. Airalo reports that tourists have been caught out in Croatia, Germany and France too.

In Dubrovnik, some users report connecting to Bosnian networks, which are outside the EU roaming zone. Unintentional roaming is also possible at border areas like Germany/Switzerland or France/Monaco. Switzerland and Monaco are not covered by Roam Like at Home, so roaming fees may apply depending on your provider.

Travellers island-hopping in the Eastern Aegean should also be on alert as their phones may connect to Turkish networks, especially on islands like Kos, Chios, Lesvos or Samos. Again, it is best to manually select a Greek network.

Recently, Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) also reportedly blocked access to more than a dozen international eSIM providers. According to Holafly, the move means tourists will be prevented from accessing the websites and apps of the affected companies.

The alleged ban means Turkish residents aren't able to purchase international eSIMs until they're out of the country. Tourists will still be able to use an eSIM if it is purchased and installed before you arrive in Turkey.